RE: Ford to be hit by UK Strike?
Tuesday 17th February 2004
Plans to close the Ford Aveley plant may spark a company wide strike say trade union Amicus.
Amicus have said that if a majority of members at Aveley vote in support of industrial action against the planned closure, they will move to ballot members for industrial action across the whole Ford group.
Amicus and the T&G have asked for an urgent meeting with European Ford managers to discuss the company’s third breach of a Sourcing and Investment Agreement, to close Aveley. The agreement, signed by the company in 2001, guaranteed no further Ford plant closures but Ford have already broken the agreement twice by closing Croydon and Boreham.
Duncan Simpson, Amicus National Officer for the Automotive Industry, says: "Ford cannot continue to break agreements we have made with them in good faith.
"Our members at Aveley have already voted overwhelmingly for an industrial action ballot and if a majority vote to take industrial action we are prepared to ask our members across Ford if they want to support Aveley’s fight against closure."
In a consultative ballot of members at Aveley taken earlier this month, 76% voted in favour of a strike ballot.
Aveley, near Dartmouth is one of the pilot plants for Ford components supporting high value engineering jobs.
The ballot for industrial action at Aveley is expected to take two to three weeks to conduct.
Ford to be hit by UK Strike?
Union getting tetchy
Plans to close the Ford Aveley plant may spark a company wide strike say trade union Amicus.
Amicus have said that if a majority of members at Aveley vote in support of industrial action against the planned closure, they will move to ballot members for industrial action across the whole Ford group.
Amicus and the T&G have asked for an urgent meeting with European Ford managers to discuss the company’s third breach of a Sourcing and Investment Agreement, to close Aveley. The agreement, signed by the company in 2001, guaranteed no further Ford plant closures but Ford have already broken the agreement twice by closing Croydon and Boreham.
Duncan Simpson, Amicus National Officer for the Automotive Industry, says: "Ford cannot continue to break agreements we have made with them in good faith.
"Our members at Aveley have already voted overwhelmingly for an industrial action ballot and if a majority vote to take industrial action we are prepared to ask our members across Ford if they want to support Aveley’s fight against closure."
In a consultative ballot of members at Aveley taken earlier this month, 76% voted in favour of a strike ballot.
Aveley, near Dartmouth is one of the pilot plants for Ford components supporting high value engineering jobs.
The ballot for industrial action at Aveley is expected to take two to three weeks to conduct.
Discussion
When will these people not learn that the Union and stikes etc are one of the reasons companies like ford etc are pulling out of the UK.
If a company is thinking about closing a manufacturing plant, which do we think will have the best result towards keeping it open "working to rule", "going on strike" or "knuckle down and do the best damned job you can, to show them they cant afford to lose you"
I know which of the above would get my vote.
If a company is thinking about closing a manufacturing plant, which do we think will have the best result towards keeping it open "working to rule", "going on strike" or "knuckle down and do the best damned job you can, to show them they cant afford to lose you"
I know which of the above would get my vote.
Agreed. It's about time this country got with it and put a stop to this Union rule that seems to be giving everyone in the manufacturing world a kick in the teeth! Move over lazy union workers and let the hard working folk have some say.
Not a great deal happens at Aveley these days anyway - it makes complete sense to shut it down and actually save Ford some money as we all know how far up a certain creek they are at the moment.
Not a great deal happens at Aveley these days anyway - it makes complete sense to shut it down and actually save Ford some money as we all know how far up a certain creek they are at the moment.
ghengis said:
Move over lazy union workers and let the hard working folk have some say.
I don't work for Ford, but I do belong to a union. However just because people belong to a union, what exactly gives you the right to call them lazy??!! Most people that belong to a union are in fact decent hard working people!!
>> Edited by TVR-NUT on Tuesday 17th February 16:32
ghengis said:
Agreed. It's about time this country got with it and put a stop to this Union rule that seems to be giving everyone in the manufacturing world a kick in the teeth! Move over lazy union workers and let the hard working folk have some say.
Not a great deal happens at Aveley these days anyway - it makes complete sense to shut it down and actually save Ford some money as we all know how far up a certain creek they are at the moment.
Ghengis - get back to work you lazy g*t. Not much happens at Aveley! It's the centre of the Ford empire.
ghengis said:
Agreed. It's about time this country got with it and put a stop to this Union rule that seems to be giving everyone in the manufacturing world a kick in the teeth! Move over lazy union workers and let the hard working folk have some say.
Not a great deal happens at Aveley these days anyway - it makes complete sense to shut it down and actually save Ford some money as we all know how far up a certain creek they are at the moment.
You're entitled to you opinion but I think you are wrong.
The jobs will be going to Germany and Spain.
New Models are made in Pilot Plants because they are secure and you can perfect processes before you introduce them to the main assembly plants. This is standard industry practice.
Standard industry practice? If everyone kept on using standard practices, then there would not be progress. There is enough capability and knowledge in the main manufacturing plants to cope with the 'pilot' builds. This has been proved in the past and makes sense to have ALL the people who will be involved in the building a vehicle present as they will have plenty of input that may improve the build/design/process. There are also new advances in the realms of virtual building/CAD/CAE where many of the potential issues can be ironed out before spending a lot of money building prototypes.
TVR-NUT said:
I don't work for Ford, but I do belong to a union. However just because people belong to a union, what exactly gives you the right to call them lazy??!! Most people that belong to a union are in fact decent hard working people!!
Okay, maybe I went in a little too hard, but I get sick of this country and it's strikes. I think bjwoods hit the mark.
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